'˜Cultural change' needed to see drugs-testing brought into festivals, says Mutiny's founder

KIT to test drugs should be the subject of a '˜wider conversation' between the festival industry and authorities.

That is the view of Luke Betts, Mutiny Festival founder, after two people – 18-year-old Georgia Jones and dad-of-one Tommy Cowan, 20 – died after falling unwell in non-suspicious circumstances 20 minutes apart on Saturday.

Luke Betts. Picture: Malcolm Wellsplaceholder image
Luke Betts. Picture: Malcolm Wells
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'˜We're devastated but nothing compares to Georgia and Tommy's families' loss' '...

Mr Betts said he was already talking to The Loop, which advocates drugs-testing kits at music events.

Luke Betts. Picture: Malcolm Wellsplaceholder image
Luke Betts. Picture: Malcolm Wells

He said: ‘There’s a huge amount of back and forth with authorities and the industry.

‘You see Reading and Leeds tried to bring it in and couldn’t. It definitely feels like we’re on the front of a cultural change, 100 per cent.

‘The industry and authorities need to have a wider conversation.’

He added: ‘That needs to happen.’

There were no drugs-testing sites at Mutiny Festival on Saturday.

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